This invention relates to packaging for articles in which the packaging is provided with means to check the integrity thereof and in particular relates to mailing envelopes provided with electronic means for monitoring and checking the integrity of the envelope.
In the course of handling articles contained in packaging, the packaging may be subject to damage, either accidental or deliberate. In the event of accidental damage to the packaging the article contained therein may itself become exposed to potential damage. Deliberate damage to packaging may be due to an illegal intent to remove the article from the packaging. An example of an article contained in packaging is a mail piece comprising a mail insert contained in a mailing envelope. It is desirable to be able to monitor the integrity of the packaging of a package during handling thereof to enable detection of the occurrence of damage. Generally, damage is only detected by manual inspection of packages as they pass through a handling system. Damage may not be detected when it occurs and may not be detected until some considerable time after occurrence thereof. As a result it may be difficult to determine where and when the damage to a package occurred during the passage of the package through the handling system and to ascertain the cause of the damage. Detection of occurrence of damage would enable removal of a damaged package from a stream of packages very soon after occurrence of the damage so that the possibility of further damage or of loss of and damage to contents of the package would be reduced.
According to a first aspect of the invention packaging including a wall to extend around and enclose contents to be contained in the packaging includes a group of electrically conductive first tracks extending over the wall; an electronic control circuit secured to the wall and including a group of output ports and an input port; a first end of each of said group of electrically conductive tracks connected respectively one to each said output port; a second end, opposite to said first end, of each of said first tracks connected to said input port; and said electronic control circuit being operative to output 10 electrical pulses from each said output port, the pulses output from each port being distinguished from pulses output from others of said output ports; said electronic control circuit being responsive to absence of receipt of pulses from any of the output ports via the conductive tracks to provide an indication of occurrence of damage to said wall.
According to a second aspect of the invention a mailing envelope comprises packaging as hereinbefore defined.
According to a third aspect of the invention a blank comprises a sheet of paper or cardboard bearing conductive tracks and an electronic control circuit to form packaging as hereinbefore defined.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention a package handling system for handling packages including the above-described packaging, includes communication means operative to communicate with the electronic control circuits of the packages during passage of the packages through the package handling system.